Health & Safety

Healthy students make better learners. In this section you will learn about initiatives that are helping kids come to school ready to learn, as well as get updates on research on how physical and mental health relates to academic achievement and success beyond the school doors.

Stories from the Field

Sacramento Parent Home-Visit Model Builds Trust, Achievement

In the low-income neighborhood of South Sacramento in the late 1990’s, parents and guardians were told by the school district that they were “partners” in their children’s education, yet they felt they were treated like problems rather than solutions. Communication, and trust, were at an all-time low. Helped by a...

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Dispelling the Myth by Working Together

The Education Trust honored three outstanding public schools at their Dispelling the Myth Awards ceremony. These schools were chosen because, “[they] are doing the right thing for kids: providing a rich, coherent curriculum and making it interesting and engaging for their students. In the process, they are making themselves the...

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LFA Updates

A New Pandemic? Students Missing Routine Vaccinations

New federal data shows many families have skipped routine vaccinations needed for school admissions during the Covid-19 pandemic

While schools have been focused on the instructional and safety issues related to the Covid-19 pandemic, a new challenge has emerged: Students have missed getting their regular vaccinations for measles, smallpox, and other diseases. These are mandatory vaccines needed to enroll and attend public and other schools. New data from...

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Resources to Help Students and Staff with Capitol Hill Riots

LFA members offer guidance for a wide array of educators and parents who are dealing with students' questions, anxiety, and anger

The political events and images of rioters storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 reached schools and homes across the nation and beyond. Several members of the Learning First Alliance are posting statements and resources regarding the riots to help school leaders, teachers and specialists work with their schools...

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Member Resources

Secondary School Principals’ "Breakfast After the Bell" Toolkit

In partnership with NASSP, the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) has developed the Secondary School Principals’ "Breakfast After the Bell" Toolkit to help middle and high school principals collaborate with their school nutrition departments to implement strong breakfast programs that reach more students and increase school breakfast participation. Included...

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Cutting Medicaid: A Prescription to Hurt the Neediest Kids

Superintendents and other school district leaders are “overwhelmingly concerned” and “deeply worried” about students in special education programs and those living in poverty if Republican proposals to refinance Medicaid are enacted, according to a new AASA survey. In Cutting Medicaid: A Prescription to Hurt the Neediest Kids, close to 1,000...

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